


Reconciliation

by Philosophizes



Series: Bad Decisions Series Backstory Fics [18]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Adults, Catholicism, Children, Humans, Judaism, Multi, Religion, Religious Conflict
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-03
Updated: 2013-01-03
Packaged: 2017-11-23 14:01:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/622969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Philosophizes/pseuds/Philosophizes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Beilschmid-Vargas family copes with the news they received over Easter dinner- the only son of Germany and Italy is converting to Judaism.</p>
<p>Sequel to 'Religious Experience'</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reconciliation

**Author's Note:**

> Advance apology for anything I've gotten wrong. I am neither Catholic nor Jewish.

Heinrich was in Cologne now but the streets he was driving on weren’t the ones that would take him back to the University and the bar lights were on and at another point in time he might have to make himself fight off the urge to stop and go in and have one, just _one,_ but right now he was too preoccupied and trying not to think but somewhere in the depths of his mind-  
  
 _‘You can come over any time. Any time you need me.’_  
  
-was repeating, loop after loop after loop like the paper chains he used to make with his sisters for Christmas when he was younger but wouldn’t ever again because he was going to be Jewish hopefully next week and you couldn’t celebrate Christmas if you were Jewish and his family was going to get disappointed all over again, they loved Christmas, every single one of them, and Heinrich liked it too but he couldn’t and he wouldn’t do that ever again and he knew it, and then the car was stopping itself and his body was pulling him out of the car and into the storm that would hit Berlin in a hour or so and he was pounding on the door in the rain at one in the morning and this was the sort of thing his _Onkel_ Gilbert did when he’d had too much to drink with his friends, not _him._

* * *

Rabbi Isaak Loewenthal was not exactly _unused_ to people coming to his house at strange hours, but it had been a while since anyone had been quite this _loud_ about it.  
  
He made his way down the stairs in the dark until his live-in assistant/student Tobias fumbled his way into the hallway on the first floor from the guest room he rented instead of living in the college dorm and helped him the rest of the way down, even though he knew he wasn’t _that_ old yet.  
  
Rabbi Loewenthal opened the door and found himself looking at his newest prospective convert, who had been one of the most determined people he’d ever tested, standing soaking wet in the rain with what were probably tears streaming down his face, though some of it might have been from the weather.  
  
He hurried Heinrich inside and opened his mouth to tell Tobias to get some towels, but his assistant had already disappeared into the bathroom and returned, and now threw one of the towels he was holding over his friend’s head.  
  
 _“Mi scusi, mi scusi, tutti, mi scusi, mi scusi di tutto, ma non cambio-”_  
  
“Heinz, hey, Heinz,” Tobias said, rubbing the towel vigorously over his friend’s hair. “I can’t deal with the Italian this late at night. Early in the morning. _Whatever_ time it is.”  
  
Heinrich gasped for breath and some of the air caught in his nose, and Rabbi Loewenthal made a mental note to sit him down somewhere with a tissue box close at hand once they’d gotten him dried off some as he hung his young acquaintance’s coat up.  
  
“I told my family,” the man sobbed. “At dinner, it just came out, and- and- and-”  
  
And now was the time to sit down, Isaak decided.

* * *

Heinrich had thought he’d be fine.  
  
His _Vati_ wasn’t mad, and wasn’t disappointed, and mostly just seemed a little lost but he was definitely trying to gather more information and that was a _good_ sign, right?  
  
But he hadn’t really been prepared for his _Babbo_ ’s reaction. He knew, he knew that his _Babbo_ cared about him and that was why he had said what he did, and that Sonnehilde cared about him too and that’s why she’d looked at him the way _she_ did, but that didn’t stop the sudden burst of immense hurt that had sprung up from nowhere somewhere around sometime halfway through the trip back to the University, and then he’d just tried to stop thinking, because  
  
His family was fighting and disappointed and so, so hurt, and it was _all his fault._  
  
But it was warm inside Rabbi Loewenthal’s house, and his best friend for the past four years was cleaning up his mess and his mentor was leading him into the living room and sat him down on the couch and he’d just been in this situation, a few hours ago, with his _Babbo_ , but this wasn’t the same, and then Heinrich remembered that the _not-telling_ had gone both ways, and that the two men looking at him with concern right now didn’t really _know_ who his family was.

* * *

Isaak had been wondering when his young friend would have his crisis of conscience. It had happened to every convert he knew of, sooner or later, doubt about their choice when their family or friends expressed disapproval, and from the way Heinrich was crying, his had been particularly bad.  
  
“Heinrich,” he said softly. “Heinrich, everything will be fine. Just talk to me.”  
  
“No,” Heinrich sobbed, shaking his head furiously. “No, no, _no,_ it’s _not_ okay! I told my family but I didn’t mean to and it was right after _Patruus_ had finished the Easter prayer and everyone just _stared_ at me and I ran out and when I came back everyone was arguing and hurt, and- and-”  
  
“And what?”  
  
“And it’s my fault! Everyone could have had a perfectly fine dinner and they’d be laughing maybe and definitely happy or at least enjoying themselves mildly but I messed it up for them!”  
  
“Heinz,” Tobias said. “Look, Heinz, how would they have felt when you called them next week after the _Beit Din_ and they realized you’d been to Easter dinner and hadn’t said anything?”  
  
“It wouldn’t matter. They’d still feel the same-”  
  
“But isn’t it better to have told them beforehan-”  
  
“ _No,_ Toby!” Heinrich exclaimed suddenly, taking them both aback. “It wouldn’t matter because I’d still have the _worst_ family, _ever,_ of _anyone,_ to convert in!”  
  
He half-sobbed, half-laughed, dropped his head and buried his hands in his hair.  
  
“The worst,” he muttered. “Worst ever.”  
  
“Heinrich,” Isaak said gently, slightly worried. “It may feel like the end of the world now, and like there’s no one else who’s had similar issues-”  
  
“They haven’t, Rabbi Loewenthal, I can _guarantee_ they haven’t.”  
  
“Heinz, we know a lot of converts,” Toby said. “We can-”  
  
“ _No,_ Toby!” Heinrich said, lifting his head. “Unless my parents and everyone they know have been lying to me my whole life, there is not even the _remotest_ chance that any other Jewish convert has had _Seelenvolk_ for parents.”

Rabbi Loewenthal stared at him, his perplexed look fading into one of shock.  
  
“What the h-” Toby began, and then shut his mouth abruptly.

* * *

Heinrich had started and he knew he had to say it and he was pretty sure he should be panicking again right now but the tears must have done something to his insides because he felt a little detached and it was _weird,_ kind of like when he had a stuffed-up head and he’d get under the blankets and the world would go all warm and muted and distant.  
  
“My whole family but my sisters and some of my cousins, they’re all Nations, every single one of them, _Vati_ and _Babbo_ and my _Onkels_ and _Zio_ and _everybody,_ all Nations-”  
  
“Hei-”  
  
“-they were _Crusaders!_ ” Heinrich continued, interrupting Rabbi Loewenthal. “Crusaders and Conquistadors and _Catholics,_ and all those things about the history of Jews in Europe, _they did that;_ pogroms and ghettos and expulsions and lies about poisoned wells and forced baptism and the _Holocaust; they were part of that too!_ ”  
  
He knew that he had a false, so obviously glaringly disturbingly false, smile fixed on his face, but he couldn’t make it go away.

* * *

Toby just sat in shock.  
  
This was _not_ normal. At _all._ Who even knew that Nations _had_ kids?  
  
 _What am I supposed to_ do _?_  
  
“Our holiday gatherings look an Axis Powers reunion, you know. Just being home looks like that anyway, most of the time!”  
  
 _Oh. OH. Oh_ no-  
  
“A few hours ago I got to tell Germany that I’ve been secretly considering converting before I ever even moved out of his house-”  
  
 _FUCK!_  
  
“-and sat there while North Italy tried to call me back to the Church-”  
  
 _Can we_ really _help him with this?_ Toby wondered desperately. _I don’t think I have the background to deal with this._  
  
 _And Germany and-and Italy? They- I am_ not _thinking about this!_  
  
“-and they’ve probably called South Italy-”  
  
 _There’s_ another _one?_  
  
“-and Austria and Hungary, I bet those two are spending Easter together-”  
  
 _He wasn’t kidding when he said ‘Axis Powers reunion’. I’m_ never _going to his house._  
  
“-and I’m pretty sure I can’t ever set foot in Italy ever after tonight and it’s really _stressful,_ you know, having to tell these people that you’re becoming Jewish, with the lives they’ve lived-”  
  
“Heinz,” Toby said quietly, but his friend didn’t hear him.  
  
“-and here we thought that Zell’s thing when she was nearly out of _Gymnasium_ and finally really _got it_ about our family and World War Two and wouldn’t speak to _Vati_ and _Babbo_ for like a week and running off over summer vacation was the worst thing that was going to happen to us!”    
  
Heinrich rubbed his eyes, expression gone disturbingly blank after the outpouring of emotion, and looked at the two of them.  
  
“I’m really sorry I just had a complete meltdown.”  
  
Toby was going to try and say something, _anything,_ but his friend stood before he could figure out what to say.  
  
“I think I’ll just go back to my dorm now,” he said flatly. “I really didn’t need to wake you up for all that.”  
  
He headed out of the room, and Tobias went after him.

* * *

First Interlude

* * *

“…Ludwig?”

Germany looked down at his bed partner, who was currently clinging to him in his usual fashion.

“ _Ja,_ _Spatzi_?”

 Italy turned his face inwards, closer to his love’s chest.

“Why would Heinrich do this?”

Ludwig sighed to himself, on the inside. He’d finally gotten the house quieted down, and now Feliciano was bringing everything back up again.

“Because he wants to,” he answered, wrapping an arm around Veneziano in the moonlit darkness.

“But- That’s-”

“That’s all the reason he needs,” Ludwig told him firmly.

Feliciano wriggled out of his grasp and lay down on top of him. Ludwig’s hands automatically came to rest loosely on his waist.

“But leaving God is wrong!”

Germany sighed.

“He’s not doing that.”

“B-But you’re supposed to be a good Christian and go to church every Sunday and repent and then when you die you go- you go to Heaven! I want Heinrich to go to Heaven!”

_That_ would _be his reasoning…_

Ludwig took his hands from Feliciano’s waist and stuck them behind his head.

“So you have to be Christian to go to Heaven?”

“Um-”

“When all the countries… go away, who else will we meet there?”

Feliciano’s smile wavered, like it might break, but held.

“Oh! France and Spain and America and Hungary and Austria and _Fratello_ and Japan-”

“ _Spatzi,_ Japan’s not Christian.”

“It doesn’t matter. God rules everything.”

Germany could feel his expression harden some as he thought of his next point.

“Italy, we’re all Nations. What claim do _we_ have to Heaven?”

He felt Veneziano’s hands tighten in the old undershirt he wore to bed. He was silent for a long time.

“We try,” he whispered. “We apologize-”

“-not often enough.”

“-and try harder to get along-”

“-only recently.”

“ _Ludwig!_ You just have to be sorry after you do something God said was wrong and He w-”

Feliciano stumbled over the word, like he was uncertain.

“He _will_ forgive you and you’ll go to Heaven,” he said quickly, distress rapidly rising in his voice. “Because He loves everyone and that’s why he sent Christ to the world, so everyone could be _forgiven,_ because he doesn’t want His children to s-suffer he _doesn’t_ He’s _good-_ ”

Ludwig pulled him down against his chest, trying to comfort his love.

“You don’t sound very-”

In the dark, one of Feliciano’s hands came up to cover his mouth, and cut off his words.

There was silence for a bit, before Ludwig moved the hand to speak again.

“Are _you_ sorry then, _Spatzi_?” he asked quietly. “Since you’re going to Heaven?”

There was no response.

“For loving me,” he clarified, voice still low. “ _‘Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind: it is abomination’_.”

“I…I didn’t know you knew Bible quotes-”

Long experience had given him the ability to know when the other was faking his characteristic happiness.

“Answer the question, Feliciano.”

Italy’s hands clenched even tighter in his shirt.

After something that sounded suspiciously like a suppressed whimper, Feliciano answered, voice wavering.

“ _‘Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God’_.”

“The Church doesn’t think that, _Spatzi_ ,” Ludwig reminded. “If they did, Cristoforo would have come to our wedding, and your brother’s. I thought you had to agree with the Church-”

“I said you have to _go_ to Church-”

“But the word of the Church is the word of God, isn’t it?”

“I-”

“ _I_ don’t go to church, Feliciano. What about _me?_ ”

“I- I- No, _no, Ludovico-_ ”

“You have to be a good person to go to Heaven?”

“ _Yes!_ ” Feliciano burst out frantically, loud enough to be heard through the closed door. _“Yes yes yes-”_

“ _Heinrich_ is a good person. He-”

“H-h-h-”

Ludwig opened his mouth to keep going, but then realized that Feliciano wasn’t stumbling for words this time- he was _sobbing_ , quietly, into the front of his shirt.

“ _Spatzi_ , _Spatzi_ ,” he said worriedly, rolling the two of them over so he was leaning on his forearms over his crying love. “Feli-”

He rested their foreheads together, and brushed at Feliciano’s tears, determined to make things better.

“I’m sorry-” Ludwig began, even though he didn’t really know what had gone wrong.

Feliciano pulled him down and clutched at the back of his shirt.

“I don’t want anyone I love to go to Hell,” he whimpered into the dark silence of the night. “I don’t- I _don’t_ -”

Ludwig shifted in Feliciano’s grip and kissed him, wiping his tears away.

“Everything will be all right,” he whispered, hoping closeness would soothe his love. “Everything will be all right.”

* * *

End First Interlude

* * *

Heinrich showed up at the synagogue just before noon, and his appointment with the _Beit Din_.  
  
“I… never said thank you for driving me home last week,” he told Tobias. “I’m sorry.”  
  
“That’s okay,” his friend assured him. “You were pretty out of it. How… was the rest of your week?”  
  
Heinrich thought of the times he’d tried to call home, only for no one to pick up.  
  
“Okay, I guess.”  
  
“It will get better,” Rabbi Loewenthal assured him.  
  
Heinrich shifted awkwardly and checked the time.  
  
He should be heading in.  
  
“I- I think I gave you the wrong impression about my family, last week,” he told them. “They’re- They’re not _bad_ people. It’s just- I think was hard on them. _Really_ hard.”  
  
The Rabbi smiled slightly at him, and Heinrich couldn’t tell if his mentor believed him or not, but he was gently being pushed towards the door to the room where the _Beit Din_ was being held and he didn’t have time to wonder about it anymore.

* * *

Ludwig was sitting on a bench across the street from the synagogue where he could feel his son, cake carefully placed in his lap.

He had tried to get Feliciano to come along, but after a few half-hearted, blatantly obvious excuses from the other, he’d let the matter drop. If the man he loved couldn’t accept their son’s choice, then he’d have to-

He’d have to figure something out, actually.

“ _Helv_ , _Germenyh_.”

Ludwig started, shoulders jerking up and lungs inhaling too quickly. He quickly grabbed the cake and set it on the bench beside him while he failed to steady his nerves, his mind still stuck on the slightly bitter voice from his dreams that even now kept him awake some nights.

“Hello, Israel.”

The brown-haired woman sat down on the far side of the bench, hands buried in the pockets of her trench coat.

Silence; but for the wind in the few dried leaves on the pavement and the dull rumble of cars on nearby streets.

“You’re alone,” Rahel said.”

 “Veneziano is very conflicted about this.”

“But you’re here.”

“This isn’t something I would miss.”

Israel focused on the synagogue across the street.

“You didn’t accompany him inside.”

“I arrived after he was scheduled.”

 “You brought food.”

“I made it to the specifications you outlined during our conversation. I still intend to have him in my life, and I will put up with whatever- inconveniences there are.”

“Hm,” Israel went. “And you- are _you_ conflicted?”

“I don’t know _what_ I am.”

She turned on the bench and gave him a hard stare.

Ludwig looked away.

“I…Please, Israel-”

He wasn’t sure how to say the only thing he could really think of without offending her.

He breathed in.

“I wish he wasn’t converting. It would be easier.”

Ludwig glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

Rahel had gone stiff; with a slow burning emotion, anger or resentment or disgust, behind her eyes.

“It would be easier,” she repeated.

“On my family,” Ludwig told her. “And on my conscious.”

_“Well.”_

She turned back to the synagogue.

“I won’t abandon him,” he added, after a few moments. “It doesn’t matter if it’s difficult or not- he’s still my _son._ ”

Germany followed Israel’s example and focused on the building across the street.

* * *

Heinrich walked back out into the entrance area of the synagogue, where Tobias was sitting, reading a book, and Rabbi Loewenthal was cultivating patience.

Toby looked up as he heard the door open.

Heinrich smiled, and held his arms out a little.

Toby abandoned his book and threw his arms around his friend.

“ _Knew_ you’d do it!”

“Tobias-” a woman said warningly.

“No, it’s okay, Mrs. Stahlman,” Heinrich said. “I’m used to it.”

“He should still know better.”

“ _Mom,_ Heinz said it was okay when I asked!”

Rabbi Loewenthal just smiled, and started to usher everyone out of the building.

“Heinrich, I’ve planned for you to have dinner with us tonight,” Tobias’s mother said. “Today is a special day, and we have to celebrate!”

“Thanks, Mrs. Stahlman,” he replied as the four of them exited into the afternoon sunlight. “I really appreciate-”

* * *

Germany realized that he could feel, vaguely, a pulse of emotion from his son, and he looked across the street at the synagogue just as the doors opened.

He stood up immediately, and saw his son pause before tearing down the steps and across the road to grab him in a tight hug. Ludwig quickly pulled him closer.

“ _Vati,_ you’re _here,_ ” Heinrich whispered.

“Of course I’m here,” his father replied.

“I… I’ve been trying to call, but no one ever picked up and I thought-”

“Gilbert tried to call you this morning and wish you luck, but you had already left the dorm.”

He smiled in relief against his father’s chest. Someone else cared.

Ludwig cleared his throat.

“I made you a cake,” he said, and Heinrich could tell that he was slightly embarrassed. “I checked to be certain that the recipe conformed to your new- dietary restrictions. And I have other things I can make for the next time to come for dinner.”

Heinz pulled back a little and looked up at his father.

“You- _really?_ You’re still having me for dinner?”

“Of course we are. And no one is going to object while they are in _my_ house.”

* * *

“ _Berkevt_ , Heinrich.”

He stepped away from his father to stare in astonishment at Israel. She was as regal and as imperious-looking as always, and she had been _sharing a bench_ with his _father._ In _his_ country.

“ _Berkevt_ , Israel,” he replied. “I’m really surprised to see you here.”

She shrugged slightly, as if to indicate it wasn’t _that_ surprising.

“It would be negligent of me to miss the confirmation of a _Beit Din_ for a Nation’s child.”

Heinrich was still attempting to think of an appropriate reaction to this when Rabbi Loewenthal and others caught up to him, clearly awaiting an introduction.

He glanced over at the Rabbi and then to his father.

“ _Vati_ , this is Rabbi Loewenthal and Mrs. Stahlman. They’ve been my mentors for the past four years. Rabbi, Mrs. Stahlman, this is my father: Ludwig Beilschmidt, the Federal Republic of Germany.”

The three of them exchanged handshakes.

_Vati’s got his Serious Business face on._

“And this is my friend Toby Stahlman,” Heinz said, squeezing an arm around the other man’s shoulders.

Toby shook hands with his Nation, looking a little intimidated.

“And- Rabbi, Mrs. Stahlman, Toby: this is Rahel Navin, the State of Israel.”

* * *

Rahel was busy gauging Heinrich’s friends’ reactions as the introductions were made.

The Rabbi was a bit discomfited, but put on a smile anyway.

_He knows. Someone told him, or he understands, that this is a man who worked with Nazis._

Mrs. Stahlman’s smile was real, and not hiding anything. Her son just seemed like someone had hit him over the head and that he had just managed to pull a coherent thought together and was considering bolting to save his skull further damage.

_That one, too. But he didn’t tell his mother, and he’s not as good at keeping his feelings to himself as the Rabbi._

And then Heinrich introduced _her._

_Instantly,_ the mood changed.

Mrs. Stahlman gasped, Toby froze, and Rabbi Loewenthal bowed his head respectfully and said:

“ _Shalom, Yesheral._ We are _honored_ to have you with us.”

Rahel smiled kindly at him.

“ _Shalom,_ Rabbi. And I all of you.”

Mrs. Stahlman recovered.

“Ah-Ms.- Ms. Israel _,_ please, I’ve already invited Heinrich over for a celebratory dinner, and I would love for you to attend, as well.”

She paused.

“And _Herr Deutschland_ as well, of course, if he’d like to come.”

“I-”

_Oh, no you don’t, Germany,_ Israel thought, giving him a stunning example of the subtle, out-of-the-corner-of-her-eyes glare she’d perfected over her long life. _You do_ not _get to run away from this._

Ludwig deflated slightly, cowed by her look.

“-would pleased to come. Ah- I brought cake.”

* * *

Mrs. Stahlman glanced over at her kitchen helper- and _what_ a kitchen helper!

“Ms. Israel?” she asked, uncertain. “Are you all right?”

Rahel blinked and collected her thoughts.

“I’m fine,” she said. “The carrots are done.”

Rahel brought them over to the ceramic bowl they were using for the salad and slid them in.

The kitchen was silent expect for the clatter of mixing bowls and knives and other preparation utensils being stuck in the sink for a quick clean-up before dinner was done. Mrs. Stahlman tried to watch her guest surreptitiously while she filled the sink with water and soap.

She had been thinking.

“ _Yesheral_?”

The two women looked over. Rabbi Loewenthal had appeared in the doorway.

“ _Yesheral_ , I have been thinking,” he said. “About some things Heinrich said to Tobias and I, last week. His- _Herr Deutschland_ , was he-”

“He was a Nazi, him and his brother,” Rahel said. “They aren’t now, but they were. Heinrich’s family on his other father’s side were all Fascists.”

“How-”

“-can I live with them?”

She scrubbed a mixing bowl harder.

“I don’t like Europe. I’ve never liked Europe. There’s too much bad history here. There are things we Nations don’t talk about after they’ve happened, because if we did we’d never speak to each other again. It’s called diplomacy.”

“But doesn’t that make it worse?” Mrs. Stahlman asked.

“We don’t forget, and sometimes I think we never really forgive,” Israel told them, moving on to other items in the sink. “The best we can do is keep living and hope that one day, there won’t be any new sins to forgive; and that we may have absolution for the old. _‘Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of these people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now’_.”

“How old _are_ you, _Yesheral_?” Rabbi Loewenthal asked quietly.

Rahel shrugged.

“About four thousand years old. When Avraham arrived in Canaan with his family.”

She felt the two humans in the room stiffen.

“Yes, I was alive for that; and everything afterwards. I was in Egypt and Sinai and Babylon. I met Philistines and Judges and Kings. I saw the Temple of Solomon built and destroyed; and my city pillaged and conquered more times than I care to remember. I have it back now, my land, after nearly two thousand years of wandering, and I don’t intend to lose it again. Wherever I went I was hated; and I am _still_ hated. I don’t think I will ever forgive the people who have hurt me because they have done it so much, but I know they’ve changed now, and I can interact with them knowing that, no matter how much I may hate them.”

“But how can you change from _that?_ ” Mrs. Stahlman exclaimed.

“Anna, do you still believe the same things about the world as you did twenty or thirty years ago?” Israel asked. “I don’t know exactly what _Germenyh_ is thinking or quite why he acts the way he does with me, but I can recognize guilt. I do know he won’t do anything to harm you, or Tobias, or his son, or any of the others you know. You don’t have to worry about your safety with him or any of the other Nations in Europe.”  

She drained the sink.

“The dinner is almost done. We should set up.”

* * *

Tobias glanced over again and decided it was finally time to say something.

“ _Mom,_ there’s some strange _guy_ lurking in the garden and spying on us through the window.”

Ludwig turned around in his seat, glared, and strode over to the window, throwing it open.

“ _Gilbert,_ get _out_ of the bushes!”

“Aw, c’mon, West! They’re _great_ bushes!”

“They’re not meant for you to be in!”

“Lutz, I am an _expert_ at getting in and out of bushes. You don’t have worry about my safety.”

“I’m not worried about your _safety,_ I’m concerned for the well-being of _Frau_ Stahlman’s bushes!”

Toby leaned over slightly to his side to whisper to Heinrich.

“Heinz, who’s that?”

“That’s my _Onkel_ Gilbert,” he replied. “Uh- Prussia.”

“Yeah, about that- there _is_ no Prussia.”

_“Hey!”_ the man in the bushes exclaimed indignantly.

“Admit it, Gilbert,” Israel said. “You’ve reverted back into a raving vagrant _._ ”

“Says the woman who spent most of the last two thousand years _begging_ at everyone’s doors for a meal and place to _sleep!_ ”

“You- You filthy wretched irreverent _Crusader!_ ”

“Bitter old hag! And I am _plenty_ religious!”

_“Butcher!”_

_“Hypocrite!”_

“When countries get dissolved, their Nations die,” Heinrich continued, doing his best to ignore the escalating insult-fest five feet away. “But _Onkel_ Gilbert never died and no one’s been able to figure out _why,_ so everyone just kept calling him ‘Prussia’. When they’re not cursing his existence.”

Evidently, Israel had had enough. She stood up abruptly-

“Anna, Isaak, Tobias, thank you for having me over. I will try and return and make this up to you.”

-and stomped towards the door.

“Gilbert Beilschmidt, don’t you _dare_ move from that garden!”

Prussia shrugged and turned his attention back to his brother.

“ _Bruder, please_ stop antagonizing Israel,” Ludwig pleaded, looking pained.

“When _you_ get rid of your guilt complex.”

Germany dropped his voice.

_“It is not a guilt complex!”_ he snarled.

Prussia glared at him, and dropped his own voice.

“Well, it sure as hell wasn’t _your_ fucking fault, either! _Or_ mine!”

The Stahlman’s front door slammed.

“Stop blaming yourself all the time, _bruderlein,_ ” Gilbert told him. “You’ve got a _damn_ good start here. Don’t throw it away!”

He stepped back from the window and flashed a thumbs-up past Ludwig.

“Heinz, awesome job on passing your examinations! I’d stick around and try the food because it smells _amazing,_ but Israel’s kind of five seconds away from trying to kill me again. Lutz, you’re going get a call from Francis or Roderich in an hour or two to come and break this up, so come bail me out then, okay?”

Prussia disappeared.

“…He had a- little- _bird,_ on his head,” Toby said eventually, trying to come up with the least sensitive thing to mention at this point.

“Oh, Kîrsnan? That’s where she usually is,” Heinrich replied, and then tried to hide his acute embarrassment by paying _very_ close attention to his food.

* * *

 Second Interlude

* * *

Cristoforo winced as the door to his room slammed open. Only one person ever entered like that.

“ _Salve, Neapolis_.”

“ _Ciao_ to you, too,” Lovino snarled. “Why the _fuck_ aren’t you in Cologne?”

The Vatican paused.

“Why would I be in Cologne?”

Romano strode over and yanked his younger brother’s chair out from under his desk and spun it around.

“Because Heinrich’s getting _confirmed_ or whatever the hell it’s called today and nobody fucking _told me_ and he’s our _nephew!_ He’s your _family,_ and you fucking _stand by_ your family, even when they’re being little _shits_ all the damn time!”

“Lovino, what did Feliciano do this time?”

“It doesn’t fucking _matter_ what the hell he did! And it doesn’t fucking _matter_ that we’re all _Catholic_ \- only _this_ time, Madonna, _Dio, I **swear**_ \- we should fucking _be_ there and we’re _not!_ ”

“ _Neapolis-_ ”

“It’s _Veneziano_ who’s always going on about how we all need to get _along_ better and treat each other more like actual _family,_ and what does _he_ do; the little bastard hops the border whenever he’s got half a damn chance to see his _Germany!_ And now he’s being a little idiotic _shitbag_ and refusing to go see his own _son_ on the most important day of his whole damn _life_ besides his marriage day! Heinrich’s going to be fucking _dead_ within the next damn century! Becoming Jewish is a _shitty_ reason to lose out of family time for!”

“ _Neapolis,_ I do not have time to listen to you ranting.”

“Like _hell_ you do! You’re the smallest state in the entire damn _world,_ you’ve got more time than _anyone!_ ”

Romano physically hauled his younger brother out of his seat and dragged him towards the door.

“And _I_ finished all my _useless_ bureaucratic shit so _I’m_ free to go! Where are the keys to your car?”

Cristoforo was nonplussed.

“Lovino, I’ve never owned a car. You know that.”

Still fuming, Romano muttered indistinctly under his breath about the things he put with for family and succeeded in pulling Cristoforo out of his room, kicking the door shut behind him.

* * *

 End Second Interlude

* * *

Dinner at the Stahlman’s had managed to proceed in a somewhat-more-normal way when the front door slammed again.

Germany turned slightly, expecting the return of Israel, only to be met with a sight he definitely hadn’t expected to see.

“Lovino Lovino Lovino _let go!_ ” Feliciano was demanding, struggling in his brother’s grip.

Romano, full of righteous fury, stomped into the dining room, dragging Veneziano with him.

“When you stop being an idiotic bastard and promise to _talk_ to your damn _son!_ ”

“He’s right _there_ now _let go of me!_ ”

After promptly aborting his brother’s latest escape attempt, Romano straightened up and looked to the other side of table where his nephew was sitting, desperately wishing he had a normal family.

_"Heinrich,”_ he ordered, pointing over at the man, and then at the floor next to himself and his brother.

Heinrich stood reluctantly and edged over.

“ _Zio_ , you really don’t-”

Lovino grabbed him by the arm and pulled them both, father and son, out of the room and down the hall.

“ _Fratello, Fratello_ , let go of my hair, it _hurts!_ ”

“ _Zio, che stai facendo_!”

Another door slammed, and there came the sound of pounding.

“Lovino Lovino Lovino Lovino, open the _door,_ _Lovino,_ let me _out,_ let me _out!_ ”

“I am _not_ letting you two out until you have a proper conversation!”

_"Fratello!”_

“ _Stai zitto e iniziari parlando_!”

Vatican City gingerly sat down in Israel’s abandoned chair, clearly deeply uncomfortable.

Germany’s phone rang, and he answered it immediately, out of habit.

_'Germany, your brother is currently attempting to climb through my window,’_ Austria informed him. _‘And Israel is on my front lawn screaming obscenities at him. Incidentally, please convey my congratulations to your son on his successful conversion. What are you going to do to rectify this situation at my hou-’_

Ludwig hung up and tried not to concentrate on his headache.

* * *

Feliciano pounded on the bathroom door a few more times and gave up. He’d heard the lock click, and even though it was on the inside of the door the creak he’d heard a few seconds later told him that his brother was leaning against it on the outside so it wasn’t like he’d be able to open the door-

And of course simply thinking himself back to Italy wouldn’t do him any good. Lovino would just follow him and drag him back.

Heinrich was seated rather uncomfortably on the toilet seat. His father shuffled over in front of him, attempting to navigate the cramped space without knocking anything over.

“Umm… Heinrich?”

“Why.”

Feliciano flinched at his voice.

“Heinrich-”

“I don’t _understand, Babbo_! You love me, right?”

“I _do!_ ” he burst out. “ _Te amo molto_! I love you so so much and I want you to go to Heaven so you can be happy forever and ever and ever and then when everybody’s finally done w-we- you can be together your sisters-”

“ _Babbo_ ,” Heinrich sighed, letting his head _thunk_ back against the wall behind the toilet. “ _Babbo_ , there is a place in _Olam Ha-Ba_ for _all_ good people.”

His father looked at him, uncomprehending- and Heinrich noticed how tired and defeated he looked.

“ _Babbo_ …” he started to say, collecting his thoughts. “Just Zell and Nia and I? What about you and _Vati_?”

Feliciano looked away and let himself fall against the wall.

Heinrich watched him for a moment, then got off the toilet and went to give his father a hug.

“I know what history says, _Babbo_ ,” he said quietly. “But I know _you,_ too. I grew up with you and _Vati_ and everyone else and I know you’re all sorry for all the bad things that you’ve done, and that means that you _will_ find your way to _Olam Ha-Ba_ eventually, even if you maybe have to go through some time in _Gehinnom_ facing the things you’ve done first.  You are a good person, and I love you with all my heart.”

Feliciano turned his head to look back at him.

“I don’t want you to die. Ever. I-I… I want you _here,_ where I’ll always know you’re safe and happy.”

“ _Mi dispiace, Babbo_.”

“It’s not your fault,” Veneziano said wearily, and hugged him. “I will not lose you while I have you. I love you. I- We don’t have to agree.”

Heinrich smiled.

“Of course we don’t, _Babbo_.”

* * *

Lovino unlocked and pushed himself away from the door and sauntered towards the dining room. He listened for a moment to the sound of Germany and the Vatican engaging in extremely awkward conversation with the Rabbi and tried to ignore the presence of the food just out of sight- he was _hungry_ \- heading straight for the front door.

_Thanks for putting up with tonight’s bullshit_ , he thought to whoever’s house it was that his brother had so rudely crashed- he’d have to remember to send something nice. Chocolate? Cookies? Truffles? People always liked truffles.

He stepped out the front door and stretched. Life was good. Everything was back to pretty much normal.

Now he could go to Antonio’s and demand to be fed. 

**Author's Note:**

>  _Mi scusi, mi scusi, tutti, mi scusi, mi scusi di tutto, ma non cambio- (Italian)_ : I'm sorry, I'm sorry, everyone, I'm sorry, I'm sorry for everything, but I'm not changing-  
>  _Patruus (Latin)_ : Uncle  
>  _Spatzi (German)_ : literally, 'Little Sparrow'. Used as an endearment.  
>  _Helv (Hebrew)_ : Hello  
>  _Germenyh (Hebrew)_ : Germany  
>  _Berkevt (Hebrew)_ : Greetings  
>  _Shalom (Hebrew)_ : Peace; used as a traditional Hello/Goodbye  
>  _Yesheral (Hebrew)_ : Israel  
>  _Frau (German)_ : Mrs.  
>  _Kîrsnan (Reconstructed Old Prussian)_ : Black  
>  _Salve (Latin/Italian)_ : Hello  
>  _Neapolis (Greek/Latin)_ : Naples  
>  _Zio, che stai facendo! (Italian)_ : Uncle, what are you doing!  
>  _Stai zitto e iniziari parlando! (Italian) _: Shut up and start talking!__  
>     
>  _Seelenvolk_ is a word I made up. I took the German 'soul' in the plural- 'Seelen'- and added 'people', as in 'the people of a country or nationality'- 'volk'- to the end to approximate a word like 'Nation' in a different language.  
>     
> Gymnasium [Gim-NAWS-ee-um]- not a gym. After fifth grade in Germany you get tracked based on your demonstrated academic abilities to different sorts of schools. One of these is Gymnasium, which is kinda like the Honors/fancy private school option: lots and lots of course work and good grades are a necessity. Mostly people who plan on become doctors, lawyers, and teachers (and I assume politicians) end up here. I think engineers might as well, but I could be mixing up this and the 'kinda like technical school' option.
> 
> Olam Ha-Ba- the Jewish afterlife. Judaism is a lot more vague on what happens to souls after death than Christianity is (it's just not nearly as important to the grand scheme of things than doing good things here because they are the right things to do); so Olam Ha-Ba might be something similar to Heaven where the souls go to hang around, or it might be a waiting period between the person's death and the bodily resurrection of the faithful at the end of the world.
> 
> Gehinnom (also Gehenna and She'ol)- the closest Judaism comes to having a Hell. The general idea is not that it is really a place of torment, though some Jews believe that the sins you do during your life create demons/angels of destruction/what have you that you must face during your time here. More prevalent is the idea that Gehinnom is a place where you confront the sins of your life objectively and realize all the things you've done and could have done, in order to feel remorse and repent. Souls stay here until they've realized the full impact of the things they chose to do. A period of twelve months is usually cited as the length of time that any soul will stay in Gehinnom before going to Olam Ha-Ba, but souls that have not repented will, depending on who you ask, either stay in Gehinnom until they have or just be destroyed.
> 
> _‘Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind: it is abomination’_ \- Leviticus 18:22  
>  _‘Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God’_ \- 1 John 4:7  
>  _‘Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of these people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now’_ \- Numbers 14:19
> 
>  
> 
> **History of Israel**  
>  Avraham- Hebrew form of Abraham
> 
> Egypt- From when the Hebrews were slaves there
> 
> Sinai- Mt. Sinai, where the Ten Commandments were received, during the trek from Egypt back to Canaan
> 
> Babylon- Hebrew enslavement there, until they were freed by the Persian King Darius the Great
> 
> Philistines- The great enemies of the Hebrews in the Old Testament. Samson was captured by the Philistines.
> 
> Judges- [Hebrew singular: Shoftim] The Judges were military leaders who also presided over legal cases. The most well-known one is probably Deborah, who presided from under a palm tree.
> 
> Kings- Kings Saul, Ishbaal, David, Solomon, and Rehoboam.
> 
> Temple of Solomon- a very famous and holy Jewish temple in Jerusalem that was destroyed in either 587 or 422 BC by the Babylonians; and then again in 70 AD by the Romans. The remains are currently underneath the Sunni Muslim Bait-ul-Muqaddas on the Temple Mount. This causes a LOT of problems.
> 
> Pillaged and conquered- quite a lot, famously by the Babylonians, Romans and Crusaders.


End file.
